Southern sets out £7.7bn drainage spend for catchments for 2050

Southern Water has published a regional Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan for 2025-50 alongside 11 plans for individual catchments, detailing how it will improve the reliability and resilience of its network and treat wastewater to higher standards as population grows and the climate changes.

The £7.7bn regional plan will add £233 to the average annual household wastewater bill by 2050 compared to 2020–25.

Southern highlighted from the plan:

• working in partnership and through collaborations with others to create greener communities;

• Increasing the use of nature-based solutions;

• making sure wastewater treatment works, pumping stations and storm overflows work as they are meant to and can withstand more frequent extreme weather conditions; and

• innovating and adopting new technologies that reduce the impacts on the environment and the costs to our customers.